Thursday, September 24, 2009

No lovin from the oven

There, that feels better. All I needed to feel better was a husband around the house to share some of the housework, make me laugh, remind me to take it easy. And a baby behaving better and sleeping a bit more. Oh, and a shower. Because how can I ever feel better when my hair is greasy and I have caked-on baby pablum on my arms?In the interim, our oven broke and I just about threw myself out our window. It took me three failed loaves of bread (first corn, then cinnamon, and last a zucchini loaf) to figure out our heat was rising and then falling. I tried blaming the loaf pan, then the infairness of te universe in general. But it turns out our thermostat is broken.Solution #1: Call repair man from nearest repair outlet (i.e. Whitehorse) to come up, bring new thermostat, install it. Cost: $100 for the part and $80/hour travel, here and back, plus labour. Grr.Solution #2: Order up new thermostat and follow online how-to instructions and fix it myself. But, I don't do electric repairs. Or hot wires.Solution #3: Borrow an oven. But from who?Solution #4: Buy new oven, plus shipping to Ross River.We know we need a new oven, dishwasher and fridge in the near future, as ours are all fourth- or even fifth-hand appliances. And I think we'll save up and buy them for our next move in the spring.Yesterday when cop #2 came over to pick up his dog from aplaydate with Skylar, I threw out a desperation-whiny, "Hey, do you have an extra oven?"To which he surprisingly answered, "Yeah, why?"So in the next couple of days, Rich and cop 2 will heroically bring over the new oven, get rid of the broken oven and then baking Sarah will be back in business (and baking a few thank-you gifts for cop 2 of course).Problem solved!I was worried with Thanksgiving dinner coming up in a couple of weeks (we're hosting!) what I would do. And I can only get so epicuriously creative with my crock pot, barbecue and George Foreman grill.All this because we live in the sticks. Because in Ottawa, the problem would be solved by this afternoon with a repairman coming over to fix oven and install new parts for well under the $800 price tag of Ross River. I am a frontier woman, hear me roar. (Or cry, depending on the circumstances!) :)